Frank Mir Was Not Denied TUE, Says Novitzky

UFC's vice president of athlete health and performance has remarked that American mixed martial artist Frank Mir was not denied a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) in Nevada. Jeff Novitzky told media that Mir was just not able to apply for one with enough time to spare before his fight.

Novitzky said the two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion was granted a therapeutic use exemption by the United States Anti-Doping Agency that runs the anti-doping program of UFC. However, Mir was told there was not enough time before his UFC 191 co-main event with Andrei Arlovski when he attempted to apply for the same exemption with the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).

The United States Anti-Doping Agency will be granting therapeutic use exemptions under the new anti-doping program to UFC fighters, according to Novitzky. The UFC VP also said the entire process will be confidential because of the involvement of personal medical records and therefore other fighters and the public will not be aware if a fighter is using a WADA-prohibited substance with a TUE granted by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Novitzky went on to add that this does not mean that testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) exemptions will be granted to fighters. TRT exemptions were banned last year and the UFC's vice president of athlete health and performance Testosterone replacement therapy would not meet the standards of USADA unless there was a very unique circumstance.

It was recently reported by Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times that the Adderall TUE with USADA of Mir was ruled inadmissible. It was clarified by Novitzky that the UFC and USADA had clearly told Mir from the very start that he would also need to apply for a therapeutic use exemption with the commission that holds jurisdiction for his fights. Novitzky said they indicated to us that there was not enough time for him to put one in. The UFC's vice president of athlete health and performance added there has been some inaccurate reporting in the media that Mir has had a TUE declined by the Nevada commission and this is completely inaccurate. Novitzky also remarked Frank Mir never submitted an application for a therapeutic use exemption through Nevada and it was he who told Mir that he should discontinue using the prohibited substance immediately and added Mir communicated to him that he had stopped using it.

NAC executive director Bob Bennett said the United States Anti-Doping Agency is "confusing the fighters". Bennett said it is really non-negotiable as the Nevada State Athletic Commission is the only body that can authorize a therapeutic use exemption in the state of Nevada. The NAC executive director said any therapeutic use exemption given to a fighter by United States Anti-Doping Agency or VADA or any other body has "no standing" with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Bennett also added fighters must fill out our paperwork, provide us with the documentation from their doctors in support of their TUEs and then it will go to our doctor and our doctor will make that determination.

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